Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-08-20
MARY JAMES TRAVELS.
SHE AND DlCkEY VISIT THE ETER-
NAL CITY.
What the Boy Of the Party Says of
kome-Dickey Likes the Old Matters
Better Than Her Travelling Companion
The Latter Is Not Fond Of Old Ruins.


.It's the boss ruin of the whole capoodle,
said he. "and is bigger than all out doors
It's fourteen stories high, with a mansard d
roof and four cellars. and there amt a tirt
escape on the whole shehang. The plaster
ing has all come OFF now. and IL looks like q
New York tenement house built To rent, hui
it was a great snap when the Romans had
some style about them. They used to have
Graco- Roman, collar and elbow and catch a
catch can wrestling matches, smuggling bouts
gladiator fights, baseball games and all kinds
Of combinations like that with a target prac
tice on Christians, when business had been
good with the main guy on the warpath, and
he had captured big layout in some of his
raids on the evangelical population On show
nights they didn't put up the sign Stand
ing room only till SoO00 tickets had been
taken in at the door, and they had a box next
to the High Muck a Muck with Brussels
carpet and keg of beer under the curtains
for the exclusive use OF the press. The man.
ager Of the Coliseum was up TO snuff, and
don't You forget il. 1t WAS built by an old
duffer they called Nespasian, about seventy
years B. C, with 10000 captive Jews he had
imported from Jerusalem expressly for the
purpose and after the job was done he had
all that was left over killed on the stage be
fore the audience to give the house a good
send off and get his name in the papers. The
Coliseum was
.what WAS that datelr said l, interrupting
the boy in his mad career.
"Lemme see" said he, scratching his head /;
sit was either 40 years B. c. and 10, 600 Jews
built it. or 10000 years b. c. and 20 Jews
built it, l amt sure which. Hand ME that
guide book till | fresh mp little
After that lost confidence in the boy as a
historian, but enjoyed his original style Of
description relative to ruins, and set him
going at every opportunity.
] have seen ruins and antiquities, and
churches and pictures and relics, and sculp-
ture and monuments. and arches, and fori
forums is what I'd call them at home), and
mosaics, and images, and catscomts, and
crucifixes. and saints, and Virgin Marys, till
feel like my brain was magazine Of curios-
ities, and il could only adopt Dickeys sug-
gsstion and convert it into a dime museum
for use in America l am sure could retire
rich and respectable after two starring tours
through the provinces
1--WE seen so much in Rome" said l to
Dickey one night after a hard days WORK,
that really don't know whether I'm an Old
master or an ancient ruin"
Il don't know about the ancient ruin, said
she, "but I'm modern total wreck Yet it
Is worth the effort to live again the lives OF
these famous artists in tie paintings Of their
brushes, the clippings Of their chisels; there
Is full reward for long drives, tiresome walks,
and wearisome standing in hot and dusty
places to look upon the evidences Of valor in
the field and Of heroism in craftsmanship,
which are presented on every side in the
Eternal City"
my dear" said /, "that sounds pretty. but
II is not in harmony with my feelings. Sight
seeing to me is like hash. which does well
enough for IS or 100 meals, but isn't good for
. steady diet. More things have gone into
my eyes in a day than i can digest in a year,
and II don't have mental dyspepsia before q
week. there is no virtue in symptoms"
I am afraid l am not as appreciative
As Dickey. She sees Romes treasures
with an artistic eye and goes into &C.
stasies. put / can't do it to save my life.
Some of the pictures please me, and 50 does
some Of the statuary, but the average old
master i'm canvas or marble makes me want
to see the whole lot bundled up and sold for
wall paper or hitching posts where the people
are not particular as to the style of decora-
ton
Another delusion is an ancient ruin. They
make up well in photographs, but in reality
they look like an unfinished job Of tearing
out old buildings, and they draw beggars
As carrion draws buzzards. ! know their
value in teaching the newer world what
the older was, but that lesson is taught now,
and the teacher ought To be pensioned and
given a rest They have become simply a
drawing card for the business of the towns
where they are, and decent burial is far bet
ter than exposing the remains for pecuniary
purposes The hotel men and the shopkeepers
find them very profitable, and if the supply
should become exhausted doubt not they
would organize a company for furnishing
ruins to order and take all their own make
I never want TO see a ruin again, and
wouldn't trade new and pretty American
cottage for the entire Roman collection.
One day We had a guide named Ettore Piz-
Earone, whom We called "Hector- for short,
and who knew Rome by heart, and told Us
about it in broken ami repaired English
which was irresistible. In Italy there can't |
be less than 81, as st. Sebastians, on canvas
and in marble, bronze wood and frescoes,
and asked Hector To tell US why it was that
Sebastian had been shot full of arrows and
treated so badly. For the benefit OF those
who are not acquainted with this saint, will
tell Hector's story in brief and as nearly as |
can in his own style:
Sebastian said he 1was a YER much
good young man. and because of this Domi-
tian was making that she being killed. When
il WAS they taking her out where the killing
Sebastian had much friends ver' rich and
they paving the soldiers at Domitian, they
not shooting the arrows SO her be killing, but |